Dan Aykroyd, Canadian actor, producer, and screenwriter
Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( AK-royd; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, producer, musician and writer. He was an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" on Saturday Night Live (1975–1979). He performed with his friend John Belushi in a musical sketch on SNL, the Blues Brothers, which they turned into an actual performing band and then featured in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. Aykroyd also conceived the premise for, and starred as Dr. Raymond Stantz in, Ghostbusters (1984), which spawned a sequel and eventually an entire media franchise.

During his tenure on SNL, Aykroyd appeared in a recurring series of sketches about the Coneheads, a family of aliens stranded on Earth, which eventually spawned a feature film. After his departure, Aykroyd has occasionally returned to the show as guest appearances or cameos. In 1990, Aykroyd was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Boolie Werthan in the 1989 film Driving Miss Daisy. He wrote, directed and starred in the 1991 film Nothing but Trouble, his only directing credit. He starred as Reverend Mike Weber in his own sitcom, Soul Man (1997–1998). Aykroyd is also a businessman, having co-founded the House of Blues chain of music venues and the Crystal Head Vodka brand.